Echo
by darlingemily
Summary: When Daryl comes across a new group of men after being separated from Beth, he fails to realize that they are the same people who took Beth the previous night. But Daryl's realization may come just a little too late and lose someone else.
1. Chapter 1

"Beth!" Daryl used all the air in his lungs to call after the car that was driving away - the car that had Beth in it. "Beth!" He screamed again, trying to catch up, but it was too late as the car turned a corner. Most would have stopped at that moment, giving up. But they weren't Daryl Dixon. If there had been one thing Merle taught him, it was that a Dixon never gives up. And as his mind trailed off to thoughts of his deceased brother, it only added fuel to his fire. He wasn't going to lose anyone else. Those walkers hadn't come out of nowhere. There were far too many. It was almost identical to what he knew to be a tactic that the Governor used. But it couldn't have been him; he was burning in Hell. Daryl's legs continued to carry him in the direction the car had gone and his lungs began to hurt, but none of that mattered if it meant he would make it to her, to save Beth. Finally, Daryl stopped in an attempt to catch his breath, but it was pointless. Calling for her was pointless.

All that his voice was was an echo.

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**BETH'S P.O.V.**

The stench of perspiration and rotting flesh was the only thing that filled Beth's nostrils as she finally began to regain consciousness. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she immediately grimaced as a sharp pain coursed through the back of her head. Reaching behind her head, she lightly ran her fingers across where she felt the pain.

"Ouch…" Beth whimpered and removed her hand, glancing at it to see the blood shining on the tops of her fingertips. But the pain had distracted her from the sounds of a walker and her ears pricked when she finally registered growls from the opposite corner. Her wide eyes looked over in the corner and she tried to get up and away, but she had also failed to notice the chains that bound her to the ground. "Daryl?!" The small-framed girl frantically tried to become free of her chains, hoping Daryl was there to save her, but only laughter answered her as the door opened.

"Oh darlin', by the time we're finished with you, the only name you'll be screaming is mine." A husky voice came from the doorway, sending a chill down Beth's spine and caused her to jerk in another attempt to get away. "You won't be going anywhere, so...get comfortable." The male stepped into the room and knelt down in front of her, pushing some hair behind her ear. "Because so long as you comply to everything we say, well, let's just say that you won't be our friend over there's meal. Do ya understand?"

Beth looked around the small room before looking into the eyes of her captor. "What do you want from me? I-I don't have anything worth taking, so just let me go. If you want the house we were staying in, then you can have it."

The man laughed once again, an evil grin spreading across his features. "Where do ya think those walkers came from, sweetheart? Do ya think they just wandered on in from the woods? Nah, we brought them there to fumigate the house, so to speak. We needed more people for our group."

"If you need me for your group, then why am I chained up?" The blonde furrowed her eyebrows together, glaring at the older man. "This is no way to treat a group member. A female nonetheless. Your southern hospitality is certainly lacking."

"I hate to tell you, babe, but southern hospitality died when humanity did." He brought his face closer to hers and gripped the back of her neck. "You're needed for another reason." That had been when he leaned in and pressed his lips to her neck, sucking her skin and biting to leave a mark. "Just because the world's endin' doesn't mean our needs have ended, too." The strange man's dirty hands traveled downward and rested on the rim of her jeans. He's index fingers slipped into her belt loops before he quickly worked to unbutton her jeans and tug them off onto the concrete ground. "And going back to what you said earlier, about not having anything worth taking," he paused, looking back up at her. "Has anyone taken your virginity?"

Beth's heart sunk down into her stomach and a lump formed in her throat. It had been the one thing she was saving for when she knew she had something special with someone, but now she knew it was going away with her dignity. A single tear had escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheek as she looked down, but she could still feel him smirking at her as he continued to remove her clothing. Her bare back hit the cold wall as he pushed her against it, becoming more and more forceful the more that Beth protested. Tears were now pouring down her face and her breathing was labored as she fearfully awaited for him to be done with her. This was not how she wanted her first time to be; he was not gentle. With every thrust, her body slammed against the wall and even though it had only been five minutes, it felt as if it had been an eternity.

"Thanks for that, darlin'." The man spoke breathlessly as he pulled out and put on his pants once more. "Now, who wants to go next?" He walked towards the crowd of men waiting outside the room, but Beth was ready for the walker in the room to just end it all for her.

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**A/N: **So this is the first installment of my first ever Bethyl fanfiction. Hope you all enjoy it! Please review it/leave a comment if you'd like to see more!


	2. Chapter 2

**DARYL'S P.O.V.**

The sun had just began to shine through the pine trees as Daryl continued to follow the tire tracks the best that he could, but they were slowly fading as the terrain became more worn. His breathing was labored and he inevitably had slowed down and his strides had gotten smaller. Eventually, the tire tracks were only sporadically visible and nigh impossible to follow and defeat was starting to settle in for the male. He dropped down to his knees and set his crossbow down beside him. "I'm gonna find you, Beth...alive…" He spoke to himself, picking up a rock and throwing it. There was no way in hell that he was going to lose her. Somehow in the chaos, she had shown him the light.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A stranger's voice broke Daryl's train of thought, but he didn't look up to see the group of men that had gathered around him. The only thing on his mind was Beth. It was always going to be Beth. "You look like a defenseless puppy - a defenseless _lovesick _puppy."

That had been when Daryl snatched up his crossbow and jumped to his feet, glaring at the asshole that was challenging him. He readied an arrow and kept it pointed at the male as the others around them got out their own weapons, pointing them at Daryl. But he didn't falter; he stood his ground.

"That's a nice crossbow ya got there, hm? Always wanted one like it. Mind if I take a look at it?" But as soon as he took a step closer, Daryl whacked the guy on the side of the head with the end of it, watching him fall to the ground. All Daryl could hear was the clicking of guns ready to shoot, but he didn't care.

"Did you get a good enough look at it or do you need to see it again?" Daryl gritted his teeth and kept his eyes on him as he got up from the ground.

Despite the gash Daryl had just put into the guy's head, he laughed and shook his head, telling his thugs to lower their weapons. "We could really use someone like you in our group. What can we call ya?"

"Daryl." He kept his answer short, not wanting to keep the conversation on who he was or what he was doing out there alone. The group seemed like his best bet for shelter until he could find Beth and get the hell outta dodge.

The man nodded, respecting his wishes to not say too much about himself. "The name's Joe. You can come back with us to our camp. There's not a lot of us as you can see, so...you'd be an important asset. What d'ya say?" However, his tone implied there were no other options. Daryl was coming with them no matter what.

Daryl merely nodded in response and lowered his crossbow, but still kept it ready in case any of the men tried anything. The walk to the camp wasn't as long as Daryl expected it to be and it made his muscles tighten in anticipation that there was something going to happen.

But nothing did.

"Now, we've gotta pretty nice setup here and, well, you'll have to earn your stay here." Joe stopped and turned around to face Daryl as the other men dispersed to their respective quarters. "To earn your stay, it's simple. Follow our rules and what's ours is yours. But if you slip up, there are consequences. Comprende?"

"And what are your rules exactly? Lights out by seven?" Daryl inquired sarcastically, raising an eyebrow and Joe chuckled.

"Oh no, you'll learn them on your own in time." Joe cleared his throat and crossed his arms across his chest. "Let's call it a learning experience. You'll be sleeping in that tent over there. Like I said before, earn your place here and you'll be given a..._nicer _sleeping arrangement. Now, follow me and I'll give you a tour."

But as Daryl followed Joe to the only building it seemed in the camp, his eyes fell upon what looked like a secluded shed in the back and a man was coming out of it, locking the door behind him. "What's in there?" He nodded towards the shed when Joe stopped.

"That? That is something that you'll learn about once you've earned your place. It's where the men go to unwind, so to speak. It's one of the luxuries of the camp." Joe winked at Daryl before beginning to walk again. "Come along now. Don't got all day!"

But something about the shed kept drawing Daryl's interest. He didn't know why. He just knew he needed to learn what was inside it.

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**A/N: **This is only slightly shorter than the first chapter, so I apologize! I tend to get rambly as stories progress, SO you can expect longer chapters very very soon. Especially when I'm not writing these late at night and write both perspectives. Leave a review/comment if you like it and want more! Thanks for the support!


	3. Chapter 3

**BETH'S P.O.V.**

"We'll be back with food later." Len winked at Beth before walking out of the room and locking it, but Beth's eyes only stayed on the floor. Her forehead was pressed against the wall and she had wrapped her arms around herself as much as the chains would allow. Her clothes remained skewed on the floor, tattered and unwearable. The yellow polo she had found in the golf country club had been ripped right down the middle from when Joe had his way with her. There was nothing left to destroy when the others had come for their fill. Bite marks were left up and down her neck and across her shoulders. Most of them were left when she tried to fight them, but Beth was beginning to lose the will to fight. It meant less pain for her to let them do what they wanted.

The sounds of the walker still chained opposite her caused her to turn and look over at it. "I'm sorry that you've been put here to suffer. You don't deserve to be kept like a pet." Beth spoke in a soft tone, but the walker only continued to look at her like she was dinner. There was no humanity left in them; they didn't understand what Beth was saying. But Beth couldn't sit in silence forever or else she'd lose her sanity. "If I get out of here…" She paused, looking down and licking her lips gently before looking up at the walker once more. "I'll put you out of your misery. I promise."

The blonde rested her temple against the wall, closing her eyes. When was the last time she had actually slept? She couldn't remember. Ever since the prison had been overrun, she only had the brief luxury of cat naps on dirt and rocks. Slowly, but surely, Beth eventually drifted into a light sleep, but didn't dream. It was as if she was beginning to forget what dreams were when her reality had become something like monsters under her bed when she was a kid.

"Wakey, wakey, blondie." Her eyes shot open when she heard the raspy voice of the man who had been the first to deflower her - Joe. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. But at the sound of the door clanking and something dropping on the ground in front of her, she looked out of the corner of her eye.

It was her bag.

Didn't she drop it when she was attacked? She was certain that she had left it behind, but how could it be there in front of her? Joe kicked the bag closer to her before setting down a tray of food and knelt down in front of her. "Ya had that with ya when we found ya. Thought it might make your stay more enjoyable, hm?" But Beth gave him no answer, just staring at her bag. "Someone will be by later. Get some rest, darlin'."

However, as soon as the door closed, Beth broke. Tears began to pour down her cheeks as she just stared mindlessly at her bag. If she didn't drop it and they had it, that meant that Daryl wouldn't find it. He wouldn't know she was taken; he would just think she ran off and left him. It didn't matter if he was looking for her because he would be looking in all the wrong places. And what pained her the most was not knowing if he had made it out of that house alive. Daryl had always put up a front that he could protect them both, but what if he had lost that battle?

The blonde couldn't sit there and let her thoughts drown her; she needed to talk to someone. Reaching as far as she could, she grabbed a hold of her bag and started rummaging through it. Her journal had been the one thing that kept her sane in the prison and she was never without it. Finally finding it in the depths of her bag, she pulled it out and took out the pen that was clipped to the spine. She needed to write.

_Dear journal,_

_I know it's been so long since I've written in you, but...things have been hard. We lost the prison. It was overrun by walkers and the Governor made his grand reappearance. He killed dad, so all that I have left if Maggie, but I don't know where she is. You see, when we lost the prison, we lost each other...got separated. I have no way of knowing if she's alive, if she's okay, or even if she's with anyone else. I was with someone - Daryl. We found a funeral home and stayed there for a bit. There was food and drinks and beds. It was the nicest arrangement we had had since the prison. But...walkers came. They overrun the house and Daryl told me to run and that he'd meet me at the road. He didn't get there fast enough. These men took me and I have no idea where I am. I call it Hell on earth. I've been chained, locked away in this small room with a walker opposite me. They tell me that if I cooperate, I won't become its next meal. But they took something from me...something I won't get back. Something that I was holding on to. I couldn't fight them, so they took it. And now I fear that if I ever get out of here, I won't have anything to give to my someone special when I meet him. Maybe it's my own fault for allowing myself to be so sheltered from the evils of this world. Maybe this is what my fate is. At least I have you in all this. Thank you for listening._

_- Beth_

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**A/N: **This chapter hurt to write oh my god. I hope you enjoyed it and got many, many feels. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Will Daryl find out that Beth is where he is? Leave your guesses in the reviews or just let me know what you think of the story! Thanks for the support!


	4. Chapter 4

**DARYL'S P.O.V.**

"_Beth!" _The memories of losing Beth haunted Daryl's thoughts and, at night, his dreams. All he could see was the car pulling away and all he could feel were his feet hitting the gravel as he ran, but no matter how fast he went, it was always too far out of reach. _"Beth!" _He'd call again and the scenery would change. She was only a few feet away, but something wasn't right. Her eyes looked lifeless; her skin was pale. _"Beth…" _But no words came from her mouth. Her arm reached out as she sluggishly moved forward. _"No…" _Daryl shook his head and stumbled backwards, but suddenly his crossbow was in his arms and ready to shoot. _"I'm sorry, Beth...I'm sorry I couldn't save you." _He slowly raised his crossbow as Beth slowly moved closer. _"I'm sorry," _was the last thing he uttered before the arrow released and went straight into her head.

Daryl's eyes shot wide open, his chest heaving up and down. It was just a dream, but Daryl still had to lay there for a moment to catch his breath and get a hold of his bearings again. He had survived the night in the new camp, but he couldn't say the same for Beth and that alone killed him inside. Pushing himself up, he swung his legs off the old, tattered cot he spent the night on. The sounds of men going to work outside told him that the day had started which meant it was time for him to start earning his place. Grabbing his crossbow, Daryl made his way out of the tent and started walking out to the center of the camp.

"Ah, you're awake! We could use a hand with the huntin' today." Joe gave Daryl's back a pat when he reached him, but he merely shrugged him off. "You'll be goin' out with Len. Anything you get belongs to the camp."

"Yeah, I got it." Daryl grumbled and rubbed his eye before making his way over to Len, but as he passed the shed he spotted the day before, he stopped. There were soft sounds of movement and grumbles coming from inside it which only peaked his curiosity more. Cautiously, he took a few steps towards it to the point that his hands lingered on the handle. His eyes traveled up to notice the heavy lock and he fiddled with it in his fingers. What was in there that they didn't want getting out?

"Hey! What'd we tell ya about earning that?" Len called out, approaching Daryl. "Maybe after today you'll get to see what's inside there. Just don't fuck it up, hm? Now, come on. we got shit to do." He nodded towards the edge of the woods before heading over to it.

Not asking another question, Daryl furrowed his brows and nodded, following him into the woods with his crossbow in hand. Off in the distance, walkers' grumbles could be heard, but Daryl kept a close eye on Len. "So, what do y'all got in there? A couple walkers? It's not much of a surprise if you can hear it grumblin'. Why not just shoot 'em in the head and be done with it?"

"Believe it or not, that there walker in there maintains order. Keeps people in line. But it's not up to me whether or not you get to be a part of what's in there. That'll be up to Joe." Len raised his own bow to shoot a rabbit off in the distance, but Daryl beat him to it. "What do ya think you're doin'?"

Daryl walked over to the rabbit and retrieved his arrow, cleaning it off before putting it away and picking up the rabbit. "By the time you shot your arrow, it would have been half away across the woods. Gotta be faster than that."

But Len was anything but amused. "Well, that there rabbit is mine. It's claimed." He took a step forward, reaching out for him to hand over the rabbit. "Whatcha waitin' for? Hand it over."

"That's not how the hunt works, bro. I killed it, so it's mine." Daryl sneered, throwing his crossbow back over his shoulder and started heading further into the wood.

"I bet there's a bitch that's got you all messed up," Len began, keeping his eyes on Daryl. "Got ya walkin' around like a dead man." Daryl had stopped dead in his tracks, trying his best to ignore what Len was trying to get at. "Was it one of the youngin's? Because those don't ever last out here."

Not thinking, Daryl pulled out his knife and lunged at Len, pushing him to the ground and pinning him. "You wanna say that again?!" He held the knife close to Len's neck and brought his face close to his. But before Daryl could physically harm the man, he was being pulled off by Joe and dragged away.

"Things aren't lookin' so great for you right now, fella. You wanna be a part of us? You gotta give respect where its due. Startin' with the people who are graciously give you a place to live, hm?" Joe shoved Daryl into the center of the camp, but didn't stop there. "Come on. It's time for you to learn what happens when you fuck up around here." The older male pushed Daryl into what appeared to be a broken down warehouse on the camp. Not another minute had passed when the others in the group joined. Daryl had begun to turn around when Joe's fist collided with his jaw and Daryl fell to the ground. "Whatever you were told out there with your other people, it's not the same here." He gripped Daryl's hair tightly before throwing him down to the dirt and began kicking him in the abdomen.

Pain seared through Daryl's body and he grimaced, trying to get away from the punishment, but it was pointless. He tried finding something to focus on in the warehouse to help him through it. That had been when he saw it - the car.

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**A/N: **Hopefully that last part wasn't too vague! Do you guys think he'll find Beth soon? Or do you think things are going to get worse before they get better? Send me your thoughts! Thanks again for the support!


	5. Chapter 5

**BETH'S P.O.V.**

"Rise and shine, darlin'!" Joe swung open the door and morning sunlight blinded Beth as she pushed herself up from the dirty ground. Even though there wasn't a point, she still wrapped around her upper torso to cover herself. While they took her virginity, they didn't take her modesty. But she couldn't cover up the bruises that lined her arms and legs. There were some bruises on her ribcage, but they looked worse than they actually felt. "Brought you some grub. You're gonna need your energy for later." His wink only made Beth cringe and feel sick to her stomach. He walked further into the shed and set down the plate of what looked like half-eaten food in front of her. "Lemme help you, babe."

And when he scooped up some of the mush on the fork, bringing it to her face, Beth sunk her teeth into his hand to get him away from her. "Bitch!" Joe growled from the searing pain, trying to make the bleeding stop, but his rage became directed at Beth as he lifted her up and turned her around, slamming her against the wall. "You're a biter, hm? Good to know you're into that, honey!" The male began unbuckling his jeans and pushed them down before shoving his dick into her, thrusting roughly. He kept her head pressed against the wall so that she was staring right at the walker and brought his lips right next to her ear. "I like biting myself," and he moved down to her shoulder, biting the flesh harshly and continued leaving a trail down her back.

Once he finally finished, he pulled out and zipped up before bringing her closer to the walker so that the chains on her wrists irritated her skin. "Next time you decide to get feisty, it won't be me doin' the bitin'. Got it?"

Beth nodded to show her understanding and he pushed her down to the ground before heading out of the shed, locking it once more. She curled up into the smallest ball that she could and let the tears flow freely down her face. It had been the first time she had really allowed herself to cry since her father died. She knew she had always said that they didn't get to cry, but she felt that that didn't matter anymore - not when it seemed she was all that was left. For all that she knew, Daryl had gotten away unscathed. He could have found the rest of their group and left her for dead.

Her tears soon stopped and she allowed herself to reach over to her bag, pulling out her journal and pen. The ink was starting to run low, but she was going to savor it for as long as she could for the sake of her sanity.

_Dear Journal,_

_It's only been a day now and I'm not entirely sure how much more of this I can take. I never know when they're going to come in here and do God knows what. But now I know I cannot fight this. If I try, it's not going to end well. The bruises they've given me in the short time I've been here has made me defenseless. It hurts to move, sometimes it hurts to breathe. I think it's safe to say that Daryl isn't coming for me. Maggie has probably found Glenn by now. I hope she has. She deserves to be happy. And I hope Daryl is safe. I finally felt like we were good for each other in the time we spent together. I know my daddy would have been thankful for what he did for me. But now my ink is running thin and I'm running out of words to say, so I think this might be a goodbye. Thank you for listening to me._

_- Beth_

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**DARYL'S P.O.V.**

Daryl's couldn't get the picture of that car out of his head. Once he finally got away from the beating, he waited until nightfall to go back to the warehouse and get a closer look at the car. And if it was the car he saw drive away with Beth...Hell was going to break loose. Quietly, he slid open the warehouse door and walked inside with his crossbow slung around his shoulder, but something was wrong.

The car was gone.

"Fuck." Daryl groaned out of frustration as he walked further into the warehouse, spinning in a circle hoping that the car would just somehow appear. He needed to know that it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. He needed to know why it was there to begin with. He needed to know who it belonged to.

He needed to find Beth.

Walking over to a box of tools, Daryl kicked it and all of its content spilled out onto the ground. But as he was about to kick something else, he heard the sound of a car engine and he ran out of the warehouse to see the car pulling into the camp, heading for the warehouse. For a few moments, Daryl stared into the windshield to see who was driving and stood as a road block. "Get out of the fucking car!" The car continued to roll forward, giving Daryl time to get out of the way, but he didn't budge. Instead, he took a step forward and slammed his fist down onto the hood. "Did you hear me? I said get out of the fucking car. _Now._" He commanded and walked over to the driver's side, yanking it open and pulled Len out by the collar of his shirt, throwing him to the ground. "Are you the shit who took her?!" He interrogated, but Len didn't say anything, so he made him get up and slammed him against the car. "I asked you a fucking question."

"You need Jesus, man. Who the fuck are ya talkin' 'bout?" Len answered him with another question and it only fueled his rage.

Daryl sneered at the other man and got up close to his face as a crowd gathered to see what the ruckus was about. "Two nights ago I was at a house with this girl. The place was overrun with walkers and I told her I'd meet her at the road. Instead, I saw that car driving away with her bag in the street. Where the fuck is she, hm? And don't feed me any bullshit or you'll end up with an arrow in your head."

Len licked his lips and stared Daryl down, but broke out into a laugh. "Boy, you really got balls don't ya? Why don't you take a step back before we give your ass another beating?" But Daryl disregarded his threat and put his crossbow up to Len's head in an attempt to get him to talk. "She got chased off by the walkers. We were gonna help her, but we got our asses outta there. She's probably dead by now."

And that had been when he lowered his crossbow and took a step back turning away, only to turn back around and have his fist collide with Len's jaw. Daryl watched as the man fell to the ground and he put his foot on his chest to keep him down. "She's not dead. You don't know how strong she is."

But part of Daryl felt like he was trying to convince himself of that.

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**A/N: **Eeeeek, this chapter was a roller coaster wasn't it?! I wrote both points of view because 1) I didn't get to write two chapters today and 2) I felt like it would make this chapter more intense. Looks like Daryl's getting closer - and angrier. Thanks for the support!


	6. Chapter 6

**DARYL'S P.O.V.**

Daryl couldn't stop himself from thinking about Beth after that - nor could he stop blaming himself for her being taken. It was like he felt the need to constantly beat himself up over the fact he sent her out of the house on her own. He was foolish to think it was safer out there than in the house. If there was something to be feared more than the dead, it was the living. But Daryl didn't seem to be afraid of either. The only thing that scared him was losing those he cared about. Beth had shown him what it was like to be around the right people and how much better it was. Sure, he missed his brother Merle, but being with Beth in the short time that he had been, it was almost just enough to fill that void in his heart.

"_You're gonna miss me like hell when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." _Beth's words haunted him as he laid there and stared up at the night sky. When he first heard her say that, he didn't realize just how easily he could lose her...and he did. And though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else, she gave him some sort of hope for this Hell on earth. But Daryl's train of thought was broken when he heard talking not far from him.

"That walker is going bat shit crazy in there." One man said, shaking his head as he walked to a group of guys.

"What'd that bitch do this time?" Another said.

That had been enough to peak Daryl's interest and he got up from the ground, retrieving his crossbow and headed towards the commotion. "What's goin' on?" He asked, but got no response, so he scoffed and continued heading towards the shed. The group of men started calling after Daryl telling him he didn't need to get involved, but he ignored them - especially when he saw Joe emerge from the shed. "The hell's goin' on in there, Joe? If it's a damn walker, then just shoot it in the head!" He spoke sternly and started going for the door, but Joe stopped him.

"We've got the situation under control, Daryl. Go back to your quarters." Joe insisted, locking eyes with him and keeping a hand on his shoulder.

But the growls of the walker inside only got on Daryl's nerves further. "It's not that hard to put a fucking arrow through its head." He pushed past him and opened the door, prepared to shoot the walker in the head when something else, someone else caught his eye.

"...Beth…?"

The familiar blonde headed female turned her head to look at him and it killed Daryl to see the hopelessness in her eyes. There were bruises covering her body and bite marks on her neck. Her arms were wrapped around her torso as her clothes were thrown to the side. What had they done to her? That was a question that Daryl felt he already had the answer to. As he slowly turned away, his finger remained on the trigger of his crossbow, but didn't release the arrow until it was pointing at Joe's forehead.

Before the body fell completely to the ground, Daryl grabbed the silenced pistol from Joe's holster and shot up all of Joe's henchmen that came at him armed. "Stay back or I fucking swear to God that you are dead." As soon as he was sure no one was going to come at him, Daryl turned back around and practically ran over to Beth, sliding on his knees. "Beth...hey...look at me." His hands lightly cupped her face and he wiped away the tear residue from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Am I dead?" Beth's voice cracked from the dryness as she stared up into Daryl's eyes. "Is this Heaven?" It was evident on her face that she couldn't believe she had actually been found.

Letting out a soft laugh, Daryl shook his head and gave her a half smile. "Afraid not. You're still stuck with me." He looked down before reaching for her clothes. Her jeans were still intact, but her shirt had been ripped down the center and he wasn't just about to let her leave here exposed. "Here, let's get you unchained and dressed, um…" The male worked quickly to undo her chains, frowning at the redness on her wrists from struggling. He helped her slip her jeans back on, careful to not look as to respect her privacy - or lack thereof. But when she was about to salvage her tattered polo, Daryl shook his head and pulled it away. "No, no take this." He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her, zipping it up. "It's a little big, but...I'm sure we'll find something more suitable when we get the hell outta here."

Pushing himself up from the ground, Daryl helped Beth stand up before turning around and motioning for her to jump onto his back. "It's a serious piggyback." He looked back at her, giving her a soft smile before holding her tightly and making sure he didn't drop her. The crowd of people still left in the camp remained, but fearful of Daryl's next move. The male couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment for instilling that fear in them. They knew to not underestimate him.

Especially when he was so protective of Beth.

**A/N: **SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, slightly shorter. But I think you're satisfied by now...right? ;) Anyways! What do you think is in store for Beth and Daryl now that they've been reunited? Leave your thoughts! Thanks for the support!


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you okay?" Daryl had asked that question maybe one hundred thousand times, but Beth could never seem to form an answer and he wasn't going to take silence as an acceptable answer. Patience wasn't exactly a strong point for Daryl, but he kept reminding himself that the initial shock of being found hadn't worn off of her yet. "Can you tell me what they did to you?" Yet there still was only silence between the pair. Letting out a sigh, Daryl carefully set her down and had her sit down with her back against a tree, kneeling down in front of her. "Look, Beth, they're not going to hurt you again. I made sure of that. I just...I need to know what happened."

Beth finally looked up at Daryl behind her long eyelashes and scrunched her eyebrows and swallowed harshly, clearly on the verge of tears. "I don't want to talk about it, Daryl. All I want to do is forget about what they did to me…" her voice trailed off, "what they took from me." She looked down, hugging herself tightly, but Daryl's index finger had lightly lifted her chin to look at him once more.

"I'll make sure no man ever touches you like that again, Beth." Daryl swore, not letting his eyes leave hers. It killed him to know that her first time had been unwillingly and forceful. But those bastards had gotten what they deserved. "_I'll _never touch you like that." The male didn't even really pay attention to what he was saying, but he was speaking from his heart. He shook his head and looked away, standing up and walking to start working on a fire. "From now on...I'm not letting you out of my sight, Beth Greene." He murmured, gathering some sticks and started piling them in a circle. "You were right, you know."

"Right about what?"

Daryl stopped what he was doing and let out a soft huff before turning his head to look at the sky. "That I'd miss you like hell when you were gone."

Hearing that brought a small smile to Beth's face for the first time in what felt like forever. "How could Daryl Dixon miss someone like me? I'm a nobody." She inquired, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Daryl curiously.

"Weren't you listening to me back at that old shit hole we burned down? I was and still am a nobody." He laughed a little bit, looking at Beth with a half-smile on his face, but Beth shook her head.

"You're wrong," was all that she said.

Daryl furrowed his brows before turning back to the pile of wood and continuing to try to get a fire started. "And what am I wrong about? Because you lost me there."

Again, there was a brief silence and Beth chewed on her bottom lip, just watching Daryl. "You're not a nobody...you never were," she paused and looked down at the ground, running her fingers across the blades of grass. "You're a hero." The small blonde looked up with wet eyes and her voice cracked on the last part. "You're _my _hero."

That had been the moment when Daryl thought his heart had stopped beating and he dropped the stick he held in his hands before turning to look over at Beth. Now it was him that couldn't form words. All he could manage was looking into her eyes and just getting...lost. In that moment, it felt like he hadn't lost anyone or anything in the apocalyptic world. Everything he needed was in front of him. Beth had been the first person to never see him as a bad person. But he snapped out of his trance and turned away. "Nah, you don't mean that...I've never been anyone's hero or anyone's...anything." He mumbled, not sure what he was doing anymore until he finally heard the crackling of flames and saw smoke start to rise. "I'm gonna go over here and see if there's anything nearby that we can eat."

"Daryl, don't tell me what I don't mean." Beth spoke suddenly and stood up, nervously balling her hands into loose fists. "I'll admit that when I first met you, I thought you were a bit of an asshole, but then...then I got to actually know you a bit at the prison. Whenever something happened at the prison, you showed remorse and handled it with care. You've put so many others' lives before your own, Daryl. When Zach died, you were the one to tell me, but you did it as gently as possible because you care," she began, taking a step forward when Daryl had finally turned around to face her. "And when I was chained up in that Hell on earth, you found me and you saved me. Before I knew you, my dad was the only hero that I knew and had in my life and now I don't have him anymore, so you are my hero, Daryl Dixon. Whether you like it or not, it's how I will always see you."

Daryl only shook his head, being the modest asshole that he was. "But I didn't save you from _this_ Hell on earth. I only saved you from one ring of it and that ain't worth nothin'."

"Please just...shut up." Beth murmured, shaking her own head as she walked all the way to Daryl and cupped his face, pressing her lips to his and leaving a soft kiss before pulling away, shutting her eyes to avoid seeing his reaction, but instead, she _felt _it. His lips had found hers this time and it was more than just a peck. This time it was filled with a passion that he had been holding back since he realized just how badly he needed her in his life. He wasn't certain of his feelings, but he knew that there was _something._

And maybe something was all that he needed.

* * *

**A/N: **I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS DELAYED CHAPTER. But hopefully I'll have some happy readers. Daryl's slowly getting in touch with his feelings, but it could be a good or bad thing. We'll have to see! Thanks for the support!


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